Repair Pool and Patio Screens Wellington FL 798-3132

Rusty Screws

Posted by JRon January 20, 2014General /
Comments Off on Rusty Screw Problems in Screen Enclosures

John’s Screen Service in Wellington 561-798-3132

Rusty screws are a common problem in screen enclosures, porches and patios in Florida. There are several things that cause rust.

Exposure to sun and rain and aging cause problems. Homes that are close to salt water also rust faster.

The tops/heads of the screw often pop off and that results in a weaker screen structure.

Chlorine causes the biggest problems. Most people wash their deck or patio with chlorine and that causes the screws to rust much faster.

A partial solution to the chlorine problem is to make sure that you thoroughly rinse the chlorine off the screws and any metal areas afterwards.

Another thing that causes rust is the incompatibility of metals that touch each other. The frame is made of aluminum and the screws are made of another type of metal.

You may need to replace some of the screws because of the rust. There are screws that are more resistant to rust than others but are also more expensive.

Below is a list of some types of materials that screws are made of that are used in building a metal frame screen enclosure, porch or patio.

Zinc

Galvanized

Coatings of various kinds

Stainless Steel – is a mixture of metals that includes various amounts of nickel which is a anti rust metal. Nickel is not as strong a metal as steel so the screws cannot be made totally of a softer metal. Therefore, even if you use stainless steel screws, they will eventually rust.